Onir: I want to be with someone who is true to himself

Onir made his Bollywood debut as a director in 2005 with ‘My Brother… Nikhil’ and went on to make ‘Bas Ek Pal’ and an anthology like ‘I Am’ that captured a range of social issues. He has a capability for telling tales on issues of concern and has delved into subjects like AIDS, single motherhood, displacement, child abuse and same-sex relationships via his movies. The filmmaker, who has also bagged National Award, says that he wants to be with someone who is true and open both to himself and to the world.

In an interview with IANS, Onir said, “I don’t judge those who choose to lead double lives. I understand their predicament and respect their choice. But I have come to a place in life where I don’t want to play a part in it anymore because the pain it causes is more intense than the loneliness it leaves you with.”

Going ahead, Onir said, “And I love my work in cinema. All these years, work and great friends and family filled in the void of not having a lover. But eventually, I did feel the empty embrace of the void. That’s when I began my search for a lover.”

Remembering the past, Onir said, “Some were gay; some bisexual. Many were still in the closet; some weren’t. Some were single; some married. I’m not possessive about relationships, and I don’t worship monogamy. So for me, when my lover was open about our relationship to his girlfriend or spouse and as long as I felt loved, whether he was married or in a closet did not matter to me.”

The filmmaker also opened about his heartbreaks in past. Remembering one such, Onir said, “On September 6, 2018, after yet another bitter parting, I decided that I will only be with someone who is true and open, both to himself and to the world. Someone who would walk hand in hand with me in public.”

“Someone who I can introduce to my friends and family as my lover. Someone to wake up with, travel together, chat, cook, and make love to. And someone to spend my life with,” he concluded.